News and Notes:
Criddle: “Congrats to the BYU Football team who is obeying the first commandment of multiplying and replenishing the earth. 3 babies born in 3 days to Justin Anderson, Shane Hunter, and Matthew Edwards.”
How We See It:
Logan: “I think that Frank was the best athlete on the team. He would showcase his skills one-on-one but it doesn’t necessarily translate to five-on-five.”
Logan: “With Frank, when things were good, they were great. When things were bad, they were bad.”
Logan: “If Coach Rose could take his time and develop him as a team player (learning how to play the game) he would stand out.”
Logan: “I thought that Frank having an impact next year would be a direct result on the time that he put in.”
Logan: “He was definitely an asset on the defensive side and there are things that he did that didn’t appear on the stat sheet.”
Criddle: “I look at the transfers over the last 5 years and they were a somewhat negative influence in the locker room cause they were selfish.”
Criddle: “Frank struggled with the transition but he was never a selfish player who was ‘me-first’, didn’t have any off-the-court issues.”
Criddle: “It hurts so bad because of the potential. I don’t put him in the same category as Ambrosino, Lloyd, and Carlino.”
Criddle: “Frank Bartley wasn’t a me-first guy, he was not poisonous. As a coaching staff you have to find out what you did wrong.”
Criddle: “With Isaac Nielson you’re going to miss that hustle, that size, his athleticism.”
4:30 Segment:
Criddle: “We’re going to talk about an article from Vanquish the Foe last week where they polled readers about who fans want to see BYU play.”
Criddle: “Ohio State, Alabama, Miami, Texas A&M, and Texas are what they picked.”
Logan: “I’d like to see BYU play Alabama, just from a fans POV. From a strategic POV I want to see how the compare overall with athleticism and as a team.”
Logan: “BYU may not be as talented but plays the game of football in a way that lets them compete at a high level.”
Logan: “To play those brand name schools on ESPN, not the Middle Tennessee’s but the Oregon’s helps them stay relevant.”
Logan: “I want them to play and beat TCU. I get sour just talking about them. If I hated Utah 1000/1000 I hate TCU 999/1000.”
Criddle: “I want to go and obliterate the bottom feeding P5 teams, all the teams that are leaching off the money that BYU should have.”
Criddle: “I also want them to play teams with similar values and missions. Like Notre Dame who isn’t on BYU’s schedule.”
Criddle: “I want to see BYU play and destroy Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Duke, and Notre Dame.”
Logan: “I think that the haters would come out and be negative about that schedule and say that anyone can beat these teams.”
Logan: “We (Bronco) talk about winning a National Championship. There’s obviously a lack of resources to get to that next level.”
Logan: “I hope that the decision makers can realize that BYU isn’t quite up to the level that they think they are and put more money into the program.”
Logan: “If BYU doesn’t win, then people will say, hey these guys can hang with these big teams.”
Criddle: “Then people will start saying, Ohio St overlooked BYU, this should’ve never happened. This is a fluke.”
Cougar Insider Report:
Criddle: “Here are the best names that BYU has offered: Boss Tagaloga, Maxs Tupai, Zion Echols, Tangaloa Kaufusi, Ali’i Niumatalolo, Pooke Maka, Handsome Tanielu, Samson Nacua.”
Kelly Poppinga Interview:
Poppinga: “Very seldomly do you see a player who is a game only. One guy that played fantastic in games was Kyle Van Noy.”
Criddle: “I heard that someone in your lineage was one of those guys.”
Poppinga: “Yeah there are guys who get to a certain point in their careers who do that. I heard Brady would go hit up the bike during pursuit drills.”
Poppinga: “You’re going to be able to see athleticism, change of direction, just miss out on the physicality.”
Poppinga: “It’s fun to see how much kids can develop with that athleticism from their offseason work.”
Poppinga: “If there was a kid that I wasn’t aware of that stood out to me, we can’t make any contact with the prospect unless they’re a senior. If we are interested we have to talk to the coach and get an evaluation. After that, you go to a practice and do your own evaluation, pick up transcripts, talk to seminary teachers, pastors, anyone you can do.”
Poppinga: “If I find a guy that I’m interested in, I call Coach 2J, get his hudl film and send it to the whole staff and do an evaluation.”
Poppinga: “We only get 2 evaluations on kids during the spring period so if they’re really interested the position coach will go do his own.”
Poppinga: “There’s a kid in the midwest that’s highly recruited and a recent convert to the church who we wouldn’t have been aware of if not for an alumni.”
Poppinga: “I would say to former players and fans that if they think they have someone, send us an email and we can take a look.”
Poppinga: “Utah is getting recruited better than it ever has. Half of the Pac-12 was in the state today and another half dozen P5 schools.”
Poppinga: “Coach Wintrich changed the way that us assistant’s help out because he could bring on a lot of staff with interns and some assistant strength coaches.”
Poppinga: “We have 4 full time strength coaches and with GA’s and interns we are up to like 7 strength coaches working with the team.”
Poppinga: “If we have seniors that don’t graduate we lose APR points. If they leave to go to the NFL and make a roster, they can come back and help us get some APR points.”
Mark Durrant Interview:
Durrant: “As much as I love and am involved with BYU Basketball, Football is where my heart lies.”
Durrant: “Brian Logan is my hero, he was a guy that worked hard at his craft. Basketball is easy, Football is hard.”
Durrant: “Football is such a special thing to me, growing up, I went to all the games with my Dad.”
Durrant: “You’re losing Frank Bartley who is one of our most athletic guys and is a good defender. Isaac Neilson is a guy with length, you don’t get 7 footers every day.”
Durrant: “It definitely hurts them, but I think that Dave Rose has something up his sleeve to be done this summer.”
Durrant: “It makes me sad to see these guys go because of the relationships that I develop with them and their family. But I wish them the best in the future and that what they do works out best for them.”
Durrant: “A lot of these guys come from a situation where they are all-stars and everyone thinks they’ll go to the NBA and sometimes it doesn’t work out.”
Durrant: “It’s hard to begrudge kids, these are critical years if they have hopes to play beyond college and you can’t be on the bench.”
Durrant: “I think they’re both good players, have some limitations, but are so young and have potential.”
Durrant: “I think they can go somewhere else and develop and be successful.”
Criddle: “Jay Drew said that Isaac was urged to leave the program. What kind of conversation do you think he had with Coach Rose?”
Durrant: “I don’t think he urged him out but just painted out the picture to tell him what the future might hold.”
Final Thoughts:
Criddle: “Neilson said that he wasn’t aware that he was doing anything wrong by shooting the ball.”